A centrifuge instrument is a device by which contained materials of different specific quantities are subjected to centrifugal forces in order to separate colloidal particles suspended in a liquid. A typical centrifuge set-up may include a centrifuge tube which holds a sample for separation. A plurality of centrifuge tubes may be located and retained on a rotor of the centrifuge. The rotor of the centrifuge is commonly configured to be contained in a compartment and spun about a central axis in order to achieve separation of the sample. A rotatable drive shaft may be connected to the centrifuge rotor in order to facilitate spinning of the rotor assembly. The rotatable drive shaft may be further connected to a source of motive energy in order to receive power.
Centrifuges are currently employed in many industrial and research situations, such as, for example, laboratories. Laboratory ecntrifuges are generally operated by manual controls using various settings and procedures. The calibration of the centrifuge is important in order to achieve proper separation of particles within test samples during testing under controlled operating conditions. An operator may want to pre-set various aspects of the testing condition or indicated specific components coupled to the system of the centrifuge. This information could be further conveyed to a processor located within the centrifuge and be utilized for preparing the centrifuge to operate under a prescribed testing condition.
An example of relayed information that can set up a condition of the centrifuge may include a rotor control used to set the specific size or type of rotor used within the centrifuge. This would allow the centrifuge to operate a given rotor assembly at preferred power levels. Different rotors are capable of operating at different speeds and are further capable of generating different centripetal forces. Such control would be preferable in order to operate a given rotor at a peak efficiency and prescribed rotational forces and/or speeds.
Additionally, a temperature control and a timer control may also be set in accordance with a type of sample being tested. It may be important to maintain a certain operating temperature for the test sample over a given period of time. This may also include requirements for a sample to sit at an operation temperature for a prescribed time before and/or after testing within the centrifuge. This temperature would be regulated by the temperature control of the centrifuge. The length of time that the sample would be subjected to specific temperal conditions would be regulated by the time control.
An operator may also want to apply the centripetal force generated by the rotor over a regulated time period. This, of course, would depend on the goals for testing a product and the test sample itself. Additional controls may also include conventional power switches provided on the centrifuge device to manually turn the unit on or off as needed.
Thus, it is clear that the ability to control functions of the centrifuge can be advantageous to a user and the samples being tested. Having a greater flexibility to control the testing environment would yield a greater variety of functions in the testing capabilities provided by the centrifuge. While technological advances have made it easier to calibrate and control operations of the centrifuge, there remain some functions which still require extensive set-up or waste resources during “down-times”. For example, if a user desired to have a centrifuge readily available for testing samples at a pre-set temperature, the user would have to leave the centrifuge on during “down-time” in order to avoid any “warm-up” delays. This method of operating the centrifuge can cause undesirable wear and tear on its systems such as the refrigerator compresser or the refrigerator condenser. Additionally, an amount of energy is lost while simply maintaining a condition of the centrifuge without actually using it.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method that would allow a centrifuge to be readily available to a user without the delays involved with “warm-up” times and avoid excessive wear and tear placed upon the internal hardware components of the centrifuge. It would also be desirable to conserve energy during down times.